Conners: Gun owners should be wary of latest state bills

Like the famous witches of Shakespeare’s "Macbeth," I see The Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE), New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) dancing around their cauldron chanting, “Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble,” in the hope that they’ll conjure up a magic potion that will bring about the repeal of the SAFE Act and a newfound sanity to the gun control debate.

I don’t care how many fillets of a fenny snake, eyes of newt, and toes of frog they toss into the stew, I don’t think there is even a glimmer of hope in that regard.

The whole gun control issue is, and will continue to be, spun out of control for the foreseeable future. And, all the homebrew remedies Albany manages to cook up to “fix the problem of gun violence” will not change a couple of indelible facts: The people with nefarious intent will continue to do their dirty deeds and the law-abiding gun owner will continue to be punished for crimes they haven’t and would never commit.

So far, the SAFE is not shaping up to be a deterrent, either to the criminals who ignore it, nor to the lawmakers who feel compelled to improve upon it. There is no evidence to date that would suggest that the SAFE Act has had an impact on crime way or the other, although it has made a goodly number of honest citizens look like criminals.

Now, the latest ruse, two bills introduced in the Senate and Assembly — S7133A and A8976B — will enact "extreme risk protection orders" in New York.

SCOPE, in a letter to its members, reports the sponsors claim that the new law will help prevent gun violence before tragedy occurs by empowering family members, household members, police officers and district attorneys to request court orders preventing someone from possessing or purchasing guns if a judge finds they are likely to harm themselves or others.

The two bills haven’t made it completely through the process and the Governor has already offered an amendment. He wants to add educators — teachers, school administrators — and other school personnel to the list of those eligible to seek the orders. All the petitioner has to do is make the claim that a particular individual is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself, herself or others.

That sounds reasonable. But, is it?

Gun owners need beware. I sense that more of your civil rights are about to be stripped away.

I could cite case after case in which school administrators, teachers and others in positions of authority have made insane decisions. I recall a case in which a kindergartner was expelled from school because they brought a plastic knife and fork to school to eat their lunch.

As SCOPE is advising, schools, teachers, and administrators are not always rational thinkers when it comes to these issues. Imagine a parent losing their firearms because their son or daughter brought a copy of the "American Rifleman" (NRA) or "Firing Lines" (NYSRPA) to school. Or it could be something as innocuous as a teacher overhearing a child talking about a hunting trip or a visit to the gun range with a parent.

The consequence of that could very well lead to you being awakened by a surprise visit from the sheriff’s department carrying a court order to confiscate your firearms. At that point, you haven’t even had a chance to defend yourself.

The real danger of the extreme risk protection order that brought the police to your home is a notice that the law requires be sent to the FBI that will have you red-flagged in the NICS system. NICS is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which that is used to determine if you are eligible to purchase a firearm. It’s not clear once the ball starts rolling because of something your child may have said or done, that it will not be your name that ends up getting flagged in NICS.

It is at this point that I should remind you of the plastic knife. ‘Tis a slippery slope, as they say.

I can assure you, it is far easier to get flagged in NICS than it is to get unflagged.

The fact is the crime rate has been declining in New York State for years — especially the homicide rate. And that decline predates the SAFE Act by well over a decade. No honest analyst can point to the SAFE Act as being a contributing factor in the war on crime. Not even a tiny smidgen. The facts will not support any such claim.

Gun owners have to take the time to express their concerns about the Extreme Risk Protection Orders and the potential damage that can rain down upon honest, responsible gun owners.

You can reach the governor at www.governor.ny.gov/, 518-474-8390, or his mailing address: State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224.

Bill Conners of the Federation of Fish and Game Clubs writes on outdoors issues in Players. Email: conners@billconners.net